Top Gear hits Sydney

Today’s press conference launching the three Top Gear Live shows in Sydney starring Jeremy ‘Jezza’ Clarkson and Richard ‘the Hamster’ Hammond promised to be a lively affair, and the British duo certainly didn’t disappoint.

Even the announcement of Steve Pizzati being a third presenter of Top Gear Live was always going to be overshadowed by the boisterous antics of Clarkson.

In a largely lighthearted affair, Clarkson and Hammond explained their live Sydney shows would begin with a challenge – each presenter would have to make the smallest car they possibly could and then have a race off. Clarkson jokingly noted it wouldn’t matter if they crashed because the cars would actually be “driven by Frenchmen.”

Amongst other things, Top Gear Live will also feature a Cage of Death, the popular Cool Wall, a Ferrari 360 Spyder precision driving display, car football and audience interaction during a Top Gear test track lap.

With more than 82,000 tickets already sold, extra tickets have been released to meet demand. Fans from interstate had already snapped up one-third of the tickets, testament to the global success of what Hammond described as a show about men “cocking about.”

Clarkson said that he was “thrilled to bits” with Top Gear Australia, describing it as “brilliant.” Asked why local audiences hadn’t warmed to the Australian version, Clarkson jokingly put it down to the British version being broadcast in colour and the Australian in black and white.

Despite signs of jet lag, Clarkson also delivered a frank assessment on Prime Minister Rudd’s address to the nation: the PM “genuinely looked terrified”, as he tried to explain how “we really are in deep shit.”

Pushed to reveal the identity of The Stig, Clarkson relented, hilariously declaring it was “Archbishop Desmond Tutu,” because after all “when was the last time you saw [him]?”

Hammond added that the only way to transport The Stig to Sydney was by shipping him in a “gorilla cage.”

Clarkson also joked that James ‘Captain Slow’ May couldn’t make it to Australia because he “gets a funny tummy going to Fulham.” Hammond added, “he doesn’t really travel well.”

The Top Gear Live shows will run from 5th February to 8th February at Sydney’s Acer Arena. It will return to Sydney each February till 2011 following an exclusive deal with Events NSW.